Infected
by dabbling
Summary: Okay, what started out as just a story about people caring for each other turned into a case file crossover with SVU. My first time taking Elliot & Olivia out to play; go easy on me there! lol. The title applies to the case file as well as the ugly flu bug making its rounds amongst our beloved detectives.
1. Chapter 1

Infected

"Ah, Geez, Goren, you're a disaster!" Mike ignored the stench and stepped carefully past the towels and dirty clothes to the big man on the bed. "Too much to drink?" He asked.

Goren was in his shorts on the bed, his pillow over the back of his head. He groaned something in response. Logan stepped forward. "Bobby, are you all right?" He moved to shake his shoulder, and his hand registered the heat in Bobby's skin right away. "Oh, hell, you're really sick!"

Bobby groaned in agreement and adjusted the position of his legs. Mike started carefully picking things up off the floor and slinging them into the laundry basket in the closet. It was obvious the man had vomited on himself.

Logan hurried to the kitchen and washed his hands, then he poured a glass of water for his friend. He took it back to the bedroom and tried to convince Goren to drink, but he wouldn't budge. "You have any medicine around this place?" Logan asked, but Bobby didn't reply. He went back to the kitchen and started rummaging through the cabinets. Then Mike had a better idea. He pulled out his phone and called Eames.

"Hello, Mike," she said, sounding annoyed.

"Eames, I need your help."

"What's wrong?" she asked, picking up on the stress in his tone.

"Your partner. He's sick as a dog. He won't talk to me. I thought maybe you could-"

"Bobby's sick?"

"Yeah, he threw up and everything."

She shook her head. "He's probably just hungover."

"You ever know him to miss the fucking toilet when he's hungover?" Mike was getting aggravated, now. "He's got a fever. He's sick."

"Let me talk to him."

Mike frowned. "I'll try," he said, and walked back to the bedroom.

"Goren, your partner wants to talk to you." Mike waited, but the big man barely moved. "Goren!" He said again, a little louder. "It's Eames." Bobby managed to turn and get the pillow off his head. His face was pale except for the flush in his cheeks. "She wants to talk to you."

He moved, and Logan thought he was going to sit up and take the phone, but instead he dashed past him and heaved into the toilet. Logan put the phone against his ear again. "I think you should just get your ass over here."

* * *

By the time Alex arrived, carrying a stuffed grocery bag, Mike was fed up. "About time!" He cried. "He's a fucking mess. I thought about calling a bus for him."

This had Alex concerned. She handed Mike the groceries and hurried back to Bobby's room. He was on his side in the bed, sleeping. His skin was pale and there were dark bags under his eyes. She touched him, and he shivered. Alex untangled the sheets and blankets at his feet and covered him. "Bobby," she said. "What's going on, huh?" She kept her voice soft and friendly, and snuck a hand onto his hot forehead. She slid it down to his cheek, and then his neck.

He whimpered.

"Bobby, talk to me. Mike's got me worried that we may need to take you to the hospital."

He frowned and shook his head. "No hospital," he croaked, his voice dry and raspy.

"All right, then," Alex said with satisfaction. "tell me your symptoms."

"Achy…cold…headache…"

"And vomiting, I know. Diarrhea, too?"

He frowned again. This was too personal.

"Bobby, I think you're getting dehydrated. You'd better start drinking, or I am taking you to the hospital."

"No."

"If you don't want to go, drink this water."

"Just… puke it up again…"

She smiled. It was like talking to her nephew. "Where's that genius mind I'm so used to? You know you need to drink. It's either that or the hospital."

A long pause, and then, "Okay."

Slowly, he pushed himself upright and barely managed to open his eyes. She held the glass in front of him, and he almost missed when he reached for it with his hand. Alex put her arm around him and kept the other on the glass, helping him lift it to his lips.

He sipped and started to lower his hand, but she pushed back.

"More than that, Bobby. C'mon."

He took a bigger drink, and she set the glass on the bedside table as he lowered himself back to the mattress again. "Ooohh…" he said miserably.

"Have you taken anything?"

"What?"

"Have you taken anything for the fever?"

"Uh… yeah… uh…"

Frowning, she felt his head again. "When?"

"Uh… can't remember," he mumbled.

"C'mon, Bobby… last night? Or this morning?"

"Uh… last night… in the night…"

"Okay. I'll get you something."

He groaned again as she went back out to his kitchen. Logan had already unpacked the items from the bag, and he was no longer angry with her. She'd purchased everything a sick man might need: fever reducer, cold packs, clear soda, chicken soup, and two kinds of crackers. "I put the ice packs in the freezer," he told her.

"Good." Alex grabbed the bottle of pills and wrestled with the safety seal. "You're off the hook, Logan. I'll take it from here."

"You don't think he needs the… a doctor?"

"Not yet. As long as he'll work with me, I think I can take care of him here."

"He'll work with you?"

Alex gave him a knowing look, and Logan backed down. Of course Goren would work with Eames. She's probably the only person who could convince him to do anything. "He's in good hands, then," Logan said. "You call me if you, you know, run out of crackers or something."

She smiled at him. "Thanks, Mike."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

She dozed on Bobby's couch, trying to stay awake to be of help to him, but too tired from a long day running, cleaning house for her Dad, and then caring for her partner. She awoke to the sound of him retching and almost got sick, herself. Alex checked the time and went into the kitchen to get him another dose of medicine. Maybe, with luck, he could keep it down. She poured him a soda and brought the pills and the drink into his room. It was quiet, and he was nowhere to be seen. She sighed. He must have stayed in the bathroom. She shifted her items to one hand and knocked on the door. "Bobby?"

"Ugh…" was all he said.

"Can you come out now? I have more medicine for you."

"Come in," he said.

Alex really didn't know what to expect. She slowly eased the door open, and saw his foot slide out of the way so she could open it wider. He was sitting on the floor, his head pushed up against the cool ceramic of the bathtub.

"Here," she said, holding out the drink. She watched him take a sip, then two, and then she handed him the pills. He swallowed them and managed a big enough gulp to wash them down. Then he handed the glass back to her. "That porcelain feels good, doesn't it?"

He closed his eyes and nodded, the skin of his face clinging to the cool white side of the tub.

"If you can make it back to bed, I have something that will feel even better."

He opened his eyes and stared at her.

"C'mon, stand up," she told him, offering him a hand.

Bobby wearily got back to his feet and made his way back to his bed.

She let go his hand and came back a few minutes later with two ice packs in her hands. She laid one against his neck, and he moaned. Bobby opened his eyes and took the pack in his hand.

"There are two of them; you decide where you need them most." She handed him the other one and waited until he was comfortable. Then she tucked the sheet over him, but he pushed it away.

"No."

"You have a fever, Bobby. Humor me."

"Too hot."

"Sheet only, no blanket."

He was too tired to fight. He simply closed his eyes with a groan of defeat. Alex tucked the sheet around him again, and gave him a kiss on the side of his head. "You're pretty stubborn, you know that?"

He didn't answer. He was asleep.

* * *

In the morning, he slept in. In fact, he slept almost until noon. When Alex went in to check on him, his fever had broken. She ran a hand over his sweat-dampened hair, and smiled at him. "Feeling better?" She asked him.

He nodded. "Tired. And hungry."

Alex's smile widened. "What would you like to eat?"

"Pizza," he said, then raised his hands in the air. "I know, I know. Take it easy." Bobby thought a minute. "Maybe some toast?"

"You got it," Alex told him. Before she left the room, she straightened his covers and tucked him in, with more than just a sheet this time.

He only ate half of a piece of toast, but Alex was encouraged. She looked over at the stinky laundry hamper. "Bobby," she said, "does your building have a laundry? That thing's got to go."

"Uh, yeah, there's a couple of machines in the basement," he said. "I don't usually use them; they're kind of small."

Alex smiled at him. "You get some more sleep and I'll go downstairs for a while." Looking at his nightstand, she grabbed the water and handed it to him. "Drink this."

He nodded wearily and sipped the water. Alex grabbed the basket and her keys and headed out of his apartment.

* * *

"Eames," she said as she watched the clothes fall as they tumbled in the dryer.

"How's he doing?"

"He's better, Mike. The fever broke last night."

"You need anything?"

"Besides some sleep and a shower?" she joked. "I'm fine."

"He's lucky to have you."

"You would have stayed with him, and you know it."

Mike shook his head. "I don't do vomit."

Alex grinned. Mike was a big liar.

"I'll call you later. Tell him I said hello."

"All right."

When the dryer stopped, she tossed them into the freshly cleaned basket and carried them back upstairs. She set the basket by the couch and went back to his room to check on him.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

He rubbed his eyes and rolled over. "I threw up again."

"Oh," she said. She sat on the edge of the bed and laid her hand on his cheek. "What can I do for you?"

"Nothing."

"Have you been drinking?"

"Yes."

"Your fever is still gone." He grunted an acknowledgement. "Just get some rest. I'll make you some soup in a while."

"Now?"

"Do you want it now?"

He thought for a moment, and then shook his head.

"Later, then." Alex leaned down and kissed his temple, and Bobby took her hand in his. She held his hand a few minutes, then tucked him in and left the room.

* * *

"Soup!" She said cheerfully. He struggled to sit up in the bed. Eagerly, he took the bowl from her hands. She smiled. "Hungry, eh?"

Bobby stirred it and tasted it carefully. Then he gathered up a large spoonful and stuffed it in his mouth.

"Slow down, there… you'll regret it," she warned.

He chewed with his eyes closed, like this soup was the greatest thing he'd ever had in his life. "Eames," he said after swallowing, "what day is it?"

One side of her mouth curled. "You have been out of it, haven't you?" He looked at her expectantly. "It's Sunday," she said.

He ate a few more bites of soup, lost in thought. As he handed her the bowl, he said, "I don't remember Saturday at all."

"You don't remember Logan being here?"

"Logan?"

"He's the one who called me."

Bobby just shook his head, and she handed him his soda from the nightstand. Bobby drank about half the glass in two sips and gave it back.

Alex was pleased to see him eat and drink. She reached out and ran her hand over his hair. "You're feeling better."

He smiled, a tiny spark in his eye.

"I'll get this cleaned up," she said.

"Thanks," he replied.

After Alex cleaned the dishes and put away the soup, she went back to his room. Bobby was curled up under the covers, sound asleep. She gathered the things that had accumulated on his nightstand and straightened up. Then she got him a fresh drink and set it on the bedside table.

Alex yawned. She really hadn't slept well on his couch. The other half of his bed was clean and inviting. The second pillow looked soft. Without making a sound, and careful not to shake the bed too much, she laid down next to him.

Before she fell asleep, she stared at him. His hands were relaxed on the mattress in front of him. Some of his color had returned, and even with two days' growth of beard, he had the innocence of a little boy.

* * *

Bobby's growling stomach woke him. He opened his eyes and threw off the covers, getting up to search for something to eat. He was on his feet when he realized the covers had unveiled an arm. Goren turned his head and saw the arm belonged to Alex.

With a twinge of compassion, he reached out and folded the covers back over her, careful not to disturb her sleep. Then he headed out to the kitchen.

* * *

Her hazy mind couldn't place the strange whine she was hearing. Alex thought hard, but couldn't quite figure it out. Finally she blinked until her eyes were no longer glued shut. Glancing around the darkened room, she realized it wasn't hers. It was Bobby's bedroom. The whiny hiss continued, and she realized it was the shower. He must be in the shower. She sat up and gave a mighty stretch. She slipped out of bed and went to the kitchen, where she saw evidence that he'd already eaten. Alex smiled and opened the refrigerator.

She was halfway through a sandwich when he padded into the kitchen, wearing a smile under his dripping wet hair. He had shaven, and he was wearing pajama pants with a t-shirt.

"You almost look human again," she said.

"I'm thirsty," he announced, and pulled a gallon of orange juice out of the fridge.

"Slow down, there," she warned.

Bobby stared at the jug and after a moment's thought, put it back. Instead, he got a glass out of the cabinet and filled it with water. He drank two sips, and then downed the rest.

"How much did you eat?" she asked him.

"I don't know. Half a bowl, maybe. And some crackers."

"So far, so good?"

"I feel fine."

She smiled. "I guess I should get home, then," she said.

Bobby's smile dropped. "Maybe I'm having a relapse."

"Goren… you're not trying to get me to stay," she said, with a grin.

He dropped into the vacant chair beside her. Reaching out with one hand, he pulled a stray lock of hair from her cheek. "Thanks, Alex."

His use of her first name made the sentiment even more meaningful. Alex granted him a shy smile. She patted his hand. "I'll head on home, then. I still have some laundry waiting to go into the wash at home." she said. Alex gathered up her things. Bobby walked her to his door, and she turned, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll call you tonight to check on you."

"I'll be fine."

"I know." With that, she turned and left.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Monday morning, Bobby was at his desk. The coffee and Danish were sitting on Alex's desk, slowly cooling. He checked his watch and frowned. She was late.

"Goren," Ross called as he walked by. Bobby cast a worried glance back at Alex's desk before he rose and followed his boss into the Captain's office.

"Where's Eames?"

"Running a little late, sir."

"Oh. Well, we've got a new case. SVU's been working it. A series of kidnappings, they think to feed a child porn ring. They're bringing us in now, because it's suddenly become high profile. Ross handed him a photograph.

"Sir?"

"Oh, that's right, you don't have kids. Her name is Sierra. She's the hottest pop act around with kids these days."

"The connection?" Bobby asked. Obviously, Sierra wasn't a child. She looked to be in her early 20s.

"She looks 22, I know. She's actually pushing 28, and she has a ten year old daughter, who just went missing."

Bobby nodded and Ross handed him the file. As Bobby walked back out into the bullpen with it, he was relieved to see Alex at her desk. "You okay?" he asked.

She nodded. "Just overslept. It happens sometimes." She gave him a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"I think I'm 100% again," he said.

"Well, lay off the spicy Thai for a while, just in case."

He gave her a grin and sat down to show her the file.

* * *

"Oh look, here come the big guns," Munch said sarcastically.

Fin stood up and gave Bobby a handshake and a man-hug. "Bobby, good to see you."

"This is Alex Eames, my partner," Bobby said. "Alex, this is Fin Tutuola."

"And this is Munch. Just ignore him," Tutuola said.

Cragen saw the visitors and came out of his office. "Alex!" He said cheerfully. He gave her a warm hug. "How's the old man?"

"He's fine, Captain."

"Danny Ross send you over?" Cragen asked.

"Yeah. This is my partner, Robert Goren."

Cragen shook Bobby's hand. "You need to talk to Benson and Stabler. They're the leads on our end." He looked up at Fin and Munch. "Where are they?"

Tutuola spoke. "They should be in soon, Captain. Late night last night."

Cragen nodded. "Make yourself at home. I'll make a call."

They sat down near Tutuola's desk. Bobby leaned in. "What do you know about this, Fin?"

"Just it's pissing all of us off. Benson & Stabler have been on it two months, in conjunction with the Feds, and every time they get a lead, by the time they chase it down, it's cold as hell."

Thirty minutes later, Stabler walked in. He went right to the Major Case detectives and held out his hand to shake theirs. "I'm Elliot Stabler."

They introduced themselves, and Elliot said, "follow me." They walked with him back to an old office which the detectives of SVU used to lay out their work on their cases. The walls were plastered with photographs of kids, mostly school pictures. Goren and Eames spent a moment studying the little faces.

"These are our victims. Each one of these kids has also been tagged in internet porn photos. They're out there, and they're being abused." Stabler opened the file on the desk and explained, "When one of those porn shots turns up, IT traces the source and a team hits it, and it's always a dead end. They're running these things through so many servers that it's damn near impossible to trace it all the way to the computer that originally uploaded the file. At the same time, our guys are pulling whatever information we can out of the photographs. We've actually found three of the places where the pics were taken, but we had no luck getting any kind of trace. All the evidence we found was stale."

"How are they finding the kids?"

"We're working that end, as well," Elliot said. "Most of the kids like to play games. They get logged in to this gaming site called 'the playhouse.' The site has a chat feature, and these perps are posing as kids, grooming them."

"And then they arrange to meet them somewhere," Alex said. Everyone had heard how this kind of thing happened, but the SVU detectives lived it.

Stabler nodded. "We set some traps, but the slimy bastards won't bite. We haven't figured out how the hell they know we're on to them."

Alex raised an eyebrow and looked at her partner. Goren stuck out a hand to Stabler. "Thanks, Detective. We'll be in touch," he said.

As Bobby and Alex headed back to the SUV, they spoke quietly. "We need to get the names of everyone who's had eyes on this case," Alex said.

Bobby nodded. "It won't be easy. They work like we did in narcotics. The whole squad works every case, not just the team assigned to it."

"Everyone in SVU is a potential mole?" Alex asked.

Goren nodded gravely. "It's the worst possible scenario. The one every squad tries like hell to avoid."

"And then goes into complete denial when it happens," Alex added.

* * *

By the time evening came, Bobby had his binder set up and his notes in full swing. Alex was researching their case, the kidnapping of Sierra's daughter. Bobby, under the table, was researching the staff of SVU and of the IT department and anyone else he could get information on, including the FBI team.

"I know Cragen," Alex told him. "He's clean as a whistle."

"So is Tutuola." Bobby had worked with Fin in Narcotics.

"Great. Two down, now you get to find out about the rest of them." She looked at her partner. He'd already garnered a lot of heat and disrespect from others on the force for his dedication to the truth. When he exposed Detective Copa's lie, he became a "rat" in many of his colleague's eyes. "You okay with doing this?" She asked him, her voice quiet and sincere.

He looked up at her, at first in surprise. Why wouldn't she think he was okay with researching the truth? Then he realized the reason behind the question, and his expression softened. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Alex read through a stack of papers one more time and finally dropped the stack on the table. She rubbed her eyes. "I'm so tired I can't see straight anymore. Bobby, I'm afraid I have to call it a night."

He nodded, not looking up from his work. "It's okay, I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

The next morning, Alex beat him to the office. She arranged an interview with Sierra and phoned Bobby. His voice was like gravel when he answered the phone. Alex was worried he was sick again. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"Oh, yeah… I was… asleep."

"Sorry."

"I worked until 2 a.m. Just getting a few winks."

"I've got an appointment with Sierra."

"What time?"

"11:30."

"I'll be there."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Sierra is under the care of her doctor. It is important that she not be upset any further."

"We'll do our best," Bobby promised. The detectives waited in the sterile sitting room, milling around, examining the art on the walls. At last, the woman's assistant led her into the room. She looked exhausted, and had the dilated stare that came from a powerful cocktail of medications.

"Detective Eames, Detective Goren," the assistant said. Sierra offered them both a limp hand and her assistant helped her to sit on the couch. Bobby sat beside her, so as not to intimidate her with his size. Alex sat in the loveseat cattycorner them.

"Sierra, I know this is a difficult time for you."

"Sade is only ten years old," she said. "I…" her eyes got teary. "I was going to take her to the museum for her birthday this week!"

Bobby scribbled a note in his binder. "Can you tell us what happened?" he asked her.

"She… she was at the park with the nanny and her friends. Marjorie, the nanny," she explained, "she said she looked up and they were all on the swings, and when she looked back again, Sade was gone. She called for her, but she didn't answer. She talked to her friends, and they all said they saw her talking to a boy, but when Marjorie and the other children and nannies looked, there was no sign of Sade or of the boy. She called the police."

"Had Sade been spending a lot of time online?"

"The other detectives asked me that."

"I know, and I'm sorry. Some of the questions we ask will probably cross over with what they asked."

"Yes. She liked to play computer games when she wasn't doing homework. She played on that playhouse site a lot."

"Did you monitor her on the site? Do you know who she was chatting with?"

"I'm traveling a lot, and when I'm not on tour, I'm either recording or rehearsing. I left a lot… too much, really… in the hands of the nanny."

"Is this Marjorie's contact information?" Bobby asked, showing her the address and phone number he had in his notes.

"Yes, that's right."

"Do you recall anyone, any names, of people Sade chatted with on that site? Take your time. Anything you can remember would be helpful."

The woman closed her eyes and thought. "Nimble? It seemed like that's what she said. Somebody named Nimble."

* * *

Bobby holed up with his laptop in the interview room. He had to dig into the personnel records of his fellow officers, and that was something best done in private. Alex spoke with the nanny, and got the names of the other nannies and children who had been there the day of the abduction.

It was nearly 6 p.m. when Bobby realized he hadn't seen her for a while. He closed up the computer and carried it out to his desk. Logan walked by, and Bobby caught him by the arm. "Logan, have you seen Eames?"

"Yeah, she just headed down the hall that way a few minutes ago," he said.

Bobby walked down the hall in the direction of the bathrooms and was there to meet her when she came out. She was pale, except for her rosy cheeks. "Oh, Alex, you're sick, aren't you?" He asked.

Wearily, she closed her eyes and nodded. He helped her to a bench near the restrooms and sat her down. "Wait here. I'll get our stuff and take you home."

* * *

She barely made it out of the car before she vomited again. Bobby went around and steadied her, holding her hair back out of her face.

Alex was horrified that she had gotten sick in front of him, horrified that she needed his help, and feeling too rotten to do anything about it. She let him walk her up her steps and into the apartment.

Bobby left her in her room long enough to go retrieve their things from the car, and to hose off the driveway. Alex's apartment was a duplex, and she often said her neighbors would complain if she so much as left a clod of dirt on the pavement.

When he went back inside, she had managed to get out of her clothes and was lying on the bed in boy shorts and a tank top. She was shivering.

Bobby knew exactly how she felt. He covered her with the blankets and even found a spare blanket in the closet. As he tossed that one over his friend, he asked, "Where do you keep your medicine?"

"Bathroom cabinet," she mumbled.

"Okay." Bobby found a fever reducer and shook the pills into his hand. He stepped out into the kitchen and came back with a glass of water. He had to force her to sit up to take the pills. Once she was tucked in again, he went out to the living room and fired up the laptop to continue his research.

After she threw up again, he called Logan. "Mike," he said. "I'm gonna need some help."

"Okay. What?"

"I need someone to work with me the next few days."

"Where's Eames?"

"Sick as a dog."

"Oh. Caught it from you, did she?"

"Unfortunately, yes. And our case has to keep moving. If you can come over here, I can go over it with you."

"Over where?"

"Eames' place."

"I'll put my biohazard suit on," he joked. "Be there in an hour."

"Thanks."

* * *

Once Mike had arrived with a bag of necessary groceries, Goren went over the case with him. Logan didn't like the idea of scrutinizing the officers, but he agreed to keep his mouth shut. He set off with a mission to interview all the nannies and kids that had been present at Sade's abduction.

He heard her heaving again, and Bobby quickly set the laptop down and ran in to help her. Alex was over the toilet, her hair sloppily wrapped in a pony tail. By the time he arrived, she was nearly done.

Bobby wet a washcloth and handed it to her. She wiped her mouth with it and just sat there, feeling the cool damp cloth against her skin. He helped her back to bed, and she refused the blankets this time. Bobby gave her a fresh washcloth and laid it over her hot forehead.

"No good deed goes unpunished," he mused aloud, grateful for the care she'd given him and feeling guilty that she was suffering now.

* * *

Bobby had gone over the personnel files of every officer in SVU, and was relieved to find nothing to indicate they would have anything to do with the crimes against the children. He was now reviewing the other employees of the department: secretaries, IT, custodians, etc.

At one in the morning, he called it a night. He went to check on Alex and found her tossing and turning in the sheets. He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "What do you need, Alex?" he asked softly.

He had to ask her more than once, but she finally answered in a weak voice, "Hold me."

Bobby climbed into the bed and let her rest against his chest.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Bobby, move! I'm hot!" She protested.

He shook himself from sleep and scooted away, wondering for a moment how he ended up spooning his partner in bed. After he got his bearings, he sat up and felt her forehead. "I'll get you some medicine," he said, and rolled out of bed. With a fresh glass of water and two pills, he convinced her to sit up.

Alex gulped the pills down and said, "I'm hungry."

Bobby smiled. "I'll get you something," he said.

In the kitchen, he stared at the clock on the stove while the soup heated up in the microwave. Four a.m.: great time to be making soup. He had a headache of his own, but it was from lack of sleep. Bobby downed a glass of water and carefully brought the hot soup to his friend.

"Oh, that smells good!" She said. She was so eager to take it from him that she nearly spilled it.

"Slow down, it's not going anywhere," he said.

She sighed and waited until the bowl was steady in front of her. Alex ate a few bites and was satisfied.

"That's all you want?"

Alex closed her eyes and nodded, suddenly not sure if eating had been the greatest idea.

He took the bowl back to the kitchen. When he came back, she held her hands over her face. "Oh, God, Bobby, the case! What are we going to do about the case?"

He touched her wrists and she lowered her hands. Bobby handed her a glass of water. "You're not going to do anything until you're over this." The look in her eyes told him what she thought of that. "I already took care of it. Logan is working with me."

"But Bobby, you didn't tell him what you're doing…?"

He nodded. "I told him. I couldn't expect him to trust me without full disclosure."

She gave him a worried look. He replaced the glass on her nightstand and walked back around to the other side of the bed before climbing in. "I need some sleep," he said, and closed his eyes.

Alex glanced over at him, thinking it odd that he was sleeping in her bed. She found it comforting at the same time, and soon she was fast asleep.

* * *

She could hear Bobby talking on the phone in the other room, and she pushed herself up and out of bed. She was surprised by how weak she felt. Alex kept a hand out to steady herself as she walked, and made her way out to the living room.

He smiled at her and wrapped up his phone call. Dropping the phone onto the table, he walked over and felt her for fever. He smiled. "Fever's gone," he said. "Can I get you something?"

She paused at the couch and wrapped a throw blanket around her shoulders. "I'd be willing to trade in this body for a new one," she snarked.

Bobby's grin widened. "Sorry, you're stuck there."

"Something to eat?"

"Soup?"

"Bread?"

"Crackers."

Alex looked disappointed. "Okay. Crackers." Bobby disappeared into the kitchen and she sank down onto the couch, feeling a tired ache in her very bones. When he returned, he brought her soup and crackers. Alex took a dry cracker in her mouth and found the salt actually tasted quite good. She dipped the cracker into the broth and ate another bite. He placed a glass of soda in front of her, moving his laptop out of the way.

"How's the investigation coming?" She asked.

"Logan found out most of the kids are online at that site. He alerted SVU and they are monitoring them very closely."

"What about your part?" She asked in between bites.

He shrugged. "I think I may have found a possible source for the leak."

"You have?"

He shrugged again. "I'm not sure. I won't know until I go down there. There's a custodial crew, people with developmental disabilities, that comes in every morning. The job coaches check out; they've all had background checks…"

"You think one of the disabled workers is working for the perps?" Alex was a little shocked.

Running low on sleep, Goren was irritable. "I said I'm not sure, Eames!" He quickly got his temper back under control. "I just… I have to rule it out, that's all." He didn't like the idea, either. Manipulation of a person with a disability meant there was one more special victim.

* * *

Alex was well enough the next day that Bobby went into 1PP. He had just gotten settled in at his desk when a very loud, very angry Elliot Stabler showed up, followed by his partner. Bobby hadn't met Olivia Benson yet, but he'd seen her picture in her file.

Stabler marched straight to Goren's desk and stood fuming before him. "You're fucking investigating me?! And my partner, my whole damn squad? Who the hell do you think you are?!"

Bobby didn't even flinch. He'd been expecting it. "Ruling you out. I'm ruling you all… out."

Olivia saw Bobby's calm demeanor and recognized the truth in what he said. She reached out and touched a hand to Elliot's shoulder. "Elliot," she said quietly.

He shrugged her hand off his shoulder. "Listen to me, you son of a bitch," Stabler warned, a finger jabbing in Goren's direction. "I've heard about you and your Goddamn self-righteous bullshit. And I don't give a shit what Tutuola says. You're a bastard. Now, kindly direct your investigation away from me and my squad and get after the real assholes who are hurting kids!"

"Information is leaking from SVU." Bobby spoke slowly and calmly. He scoffed. "I mean, that's why you can't catch them. Every time you make a raid, they're gone. Because somebody told them you were coming."

Elliot looked over at his partner, who gave him a meaningful look. Listen to him, Stabler, he's making sense.

"If it makes you feel better, everyone with a badge is in the clear," Bobby announced.

"No shit, Sherlock. You could have just asked me, or Fin, or anybody that."

Bobby sat up straight in the chair and gave him an even stare. "No. I couldn't." After an uncomfortable pause, he shifted and stacked a couple of papers from one side of the desk to the other. "I'll call you when I've got something," Goren said.

Olivia put her hand on Elliot's arm again, and this time she managed to get him to turn around and walk out with her. She looked back only once, and managed to give Goren an understanding nod.

* * *

A/N Reviews, anyone?


	6. Chapter 6

A/N Thanks for the feedback about the story and posting it as a crossover or not. For now, I will leave it where it is, but if I think people aren't finding it, I will consider changing it. I'm not sure which characters are showing up in the summary, but I do see this as primarily a B/A story, so just because I have Elliot & Olivia to play with, I'm not abandoning my favorites. Don't worry! It's still me, and I still love B/A!

* * *

Chapter 6

"Don't start preaching to me, Liv," Elliot warned as they piled into the car. He was in the driver's seat.

She shook her head. "Far be it from me," was all she said. After they'd gone a couple of blocks, she asked, "Do you think he's right? About the leak?"

Elliot didn't answer right away. "Makes sense," he finally spat.

"Maybe we should keep our cards closer to our vests."

After a moment's thought, he shook his head. SVU just didn't work that way. People openly tossed information back and forth and piped up with theories and ideas that often led to arrests. "Maybe we should have an ace up our sleeve, instead."

* * *

"Oh, Bobby, you didn't have to stop by," Alex said kindly.

He stepped inside her door. "I wanted to see how you're doing."

"I'm okay, really."

He studied her smile. "You look much better."

After an awkward pause, she said, "Thanks for helping me."

He shrugged. "Just returning the favor." Bobby was starting to break into a cold sweat. Was she trying to get rid of him? Should he excuse himself and go?

Alex looked at his hand, and for a moment, remembered how that hand felt over her waist as he held her.

"I, uh… I guess…I should probably go…"

"It's raining," Alex said, with a quick glance out the window. "You'll be soaked by the time you get back to the subway."

Bobby looked over his shoulder at the rain sliding down the window in sheets. "I… uh… I don't have an umbrella."

"You'll stay here, then."

He looked up at her, surprised. He could have used another night of research, but on the other hand, he was tired. A good night's sleep sounded like a great idea. A night with Alex sounded even better. "O-okay," he said with a small nod.

* * *

Stabler, Benson, and Logan were hunched over a laptop in an interview room at 1PP.

"What time is it?" Elliot asked.

Liv looked at the clock display on the computer. "Almost ten."

"My kids were in bed way before ten on a school night."

"All kids aren't lucky enough to have a parent like you, Elliot."

"Hold up," Mike said, and they redirected their attention back to the screen. "I thought I saw him pop up in the chat screen." Olivia scrolled the conversation back up. "There," Logan said. "It's not Nimble, it's Nibble."

"I'm already disgusted," Olivia commented. "Let me start things off." She typed.

_Wow, Nibble, your funny!_

"Drives me nuts to do that."

"What?" Elliot asked her.

"Your instead of you're."

"Hey, you're a kid, right?" He smiled at her.

Nibble's response came through. _Thx. Haven't seen you on before._

_ Mom's at work, _ Olivia wrote back.

_All alone?_

_ Yeah, she got a new job. I guess the computer's my new babysitter._

He answered her with a sad face, while Mike was on the phone with Major Case's IT guys.

_I like these matching games._

_ Yeah, they're cool._

Logan snapped his fingers and drew their attention. "Got it," he said, shoving a note in their direction. "Keep him talking," he told Olivia, and he and Stabler hurried out, after a meaningful glance between the partners.

* * *

They had a small group of uniformed officers with them. The uniforms took the front position, since they were required to wear their Kevlar at all times. A female officer knocked on the door. "Police department," she called.

After a moment, the door opened, and a sixteen year old boy answered. The police entered carefully, and quickly determined that the apartment had no other occupants. "Nibble?" Stabler asked.

The kid looked worried.

"Where are your parents?"

"They're—working," he said.

"Call them. You're coming downtown with us."

* * *

"Stabler said what?!" Alex asked.

Bobby shrugged it off. "He was just… protecting his team. I would have done the same."

"I don't like it. Sounds like he's a hothead."

Bobby gave her a sour grin. "He's a hothead, I'm a nutjob. Whatever, right?"

She smiled sadly and touched his hand with hers. "Sorry." Alex thought for a moment. "You're a good man, Bobby."

He ignored the compliment and turned to drink down what was left of his water. "Can I get you something?" He asked as he collected his dishes from the coffee table to take them back to the kitchen. "You didn't eat much. You're feeling okay?"

"I'm okay. Just being careful," she said. "Bobby?" He turned back. "Maybe another glass of water?"

Bobby nodded and a few minutes later brought her the drink. She rose to take the glass from his hand. "Thanks," she said. "I'm still so thirsty." After she swallowed a gulp, she looked up at him. "You look tired."

"I am tired. I guess I'm still… getting over it, too."

"C'mon," she said. "I'll tuck you in."

"Eames, you don't have to…" he said as he realized she was taking him to her bedroom.

She simply took him by the hand and continued walking. Once in her room, she turned to face him. "I'm not expecting anything, Bobby. I just want you to be comfortable. And I know I'll be more comfortable if I'm with you."

Staring into her eyes, Bobby realized things were changing. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Instead of answering, she reached up and put her hands around his neck. He bent down to meet her, and she kissed him. In the wake of the kiss, they stared into each others' eyes. Finally, Alex spoke again. "Now. I'm exhausted, so don't get your hopes up." With a smile, she turned and shucked out of her pants. She replaced the shirt she was wearing with a sleep shirt and then extracted her bra through the sleeve, while Bobby tried unsuccessfully to avert his eyes. Slowly, he stripped down to his boxers and climbed into the bed after her.

She was on her side, facing away from him. Impulsively, he reached out and touched his fingers to her hair. "Good night, Bobby," she said.

He withdrew his hand and tucked it across his own chest. "Good night… Alex." Closing his eyes, he breathed in her scent, and was rewarded with a deep sense of calm. Soon he was asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"You'll wait for the boys' parents, and that's the end of it," Cragen said, angrily holding one hand in the air.

"For all we know, the parents are the ringleaders of this little nightmare circus."

"You got any proof of that, Elliot? Because if you do, I'd really like to see it." The Captain understood Elliot's frustration, but this case was too big to blow on a procedural mistake. "What's he doing?" He asked, jerking a thumb in Logan's direction.

Mike was entering the interview room with a can of soda and a few selections from the vending machine.

"Making friends; keeping him awake."

"Make sure the door's open and he's keeping the conversation to a minimum."

"Yes, sir." Elliot turned and went to join Logan. He didn't see his partner come in a few minutes later.

* * *

"You like chips? Or chocolate?" Mike asked, setting the food down in front of the boy.

The kid grabbed a bag of chips.

"Name like Nibble, I figure you must like snacks," Logan smiled. He shoved the can of soda in the kid's direction.

"Thanks."

"No problem. I was a kid once." They ate in silence, Stabler standing near the open door, one ear cocked and listening to everything that went on in the room.

"What's your name?" Mike asked.

The teen thought and decided it was a harmless question. "Nick."

"Nicholas?"

"Yeah, but people call me Nick."

"How old are you, Nick?"

"Sixteen."

"I noticed you called your Dad. Most kids, they call Mom first."

"I don't have a mom."

"Oh, sorry to hear that."

"She died when I was little. It's just me and my Dad."

"Hey, uh, enjoy your snacks. I'll go see if your Dad's here yet." Mike went out and stopped to confer with Stabler near the door. They walked a few steps away from the kid and spoke. "Even if he's in on it, he's a victim, too."

"Welcome to SVU," Elliot said.

"What do you make of that 'mom's dead' thing?"

"It's possible, but when Dad gets here, we're going to fingerprint the kid, just in case."

Logan rubbed his eyes. "Where do you keep the coffee around here? I could use a jolt."

Elliot pointed to the coffeemaker, and then went back to stand near the door where the kid was.

* * *

When Goren woke, she was snuggled against him and his arm was over her chest. Her hair tickled his face, and he moved his head to brush the hair away. On an impulse, he kissed the skin of her neck.

Alex stirred, and Bobby wondered if he'd gone too far. She stretched and rolled onto her back. He held his arm up, respectfully keeping it from touching her bosom. He replaced it over her abdomen.

"Bobby?" she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Yeah?" He answered, raising his head.

Alex smiled. "Good morning."

Relieved, he smiled, too. "Good morning." He lowered his head back down to his pillow and closed his eyes, allowing his hand to rub the skin just under her shirt.

She rolled toward him, her nose inches from his. Alex put her hand in his hair, trying to tame the messy curls. She grinned. "You slept well?"

"Yeah," he said with an easy smile. "I could get used to this."

"Maybe when we're not so exhausted," she began, dropping a teasing kiss to his lips, "we can—"

She didn't get to finish her sentence, because he closed his arms around her and interrupted her words with a passionate kiss.

* * *

Nicholas Turner was printed, and then interrogated in the presence of his father. By noon, the poor boy could barely keep his eyes open. Benson came in. "Sorry it's taking so long," she told them. "We're just waiting to get an all clear on those prints." She left the room, and sat down with her partner.

Two hours later, Logan walked by. "Where's his old man?"

Stabler sat up, "He went to the john a few minutes ago."

Mike ran his hand over his flushed cheeks. "Well, I was just in there, and he's not there now."

Benson and Stabler both bolted from their desks and went in opposite directions checking the squad room.

* * *

The phone was a harsh interruption to their growing passion. They separated, and Goren forced himself up and out of the bed. He grabbed his phone. "Goren," he said, unable to hide the annoyance in his tone.

"Really? Okay. I'll get right over there." Hanging up, he looked over at his partner. "You going to work today?"

"Yeah," she answered.

"Get dressed. SVU had some action last night."

* * *

"I'm getting a migraine," Cragen complained. "He just walked out of here, right under our noses?"

Benson and Stabler looked ashamed and angry. Logan sat in a chair with his head resting against the wall. "He was only here as an advocate for his son," Benson said. "We didn't have any reason to—"

"Well, you do now!" Cragen snapped. "Nick's fingerprints just came through. He was abducted in Maine eleven years ago."

Elliot jumped to his feet. "I'm going after him," he said.

"Stabler, keep your cool." Cragen warned.

Olivia gave the Captain a look and hurried out after Elliot. Cragen looked over at Logan. "You look like death warmed over," he said. "Go home."

* * *

Goren and Eames checked in with Captain Cragen, and he sent them out to get brought up to speed with Fin and Munch. Fin was on the phone, so Munch filled them in.

"He pulled a disappearing act," he said, finally.

"He knew what the background check on Nick would bring up."

"Where's Nicholas now?" Bobby asked.

"State custody. They're pushing the paperwork through for a guardian ad litum. Until then, we can't talk to him anymore."

"His family in Maine?" said Alex.

"Moved six years ago; the feds are trying to find them."

Fin got off the phone and joined them, looking grim. "If he was the ringleader, then this whole investigation just went to hell. They'll crawl into a hole so deep we'll never find them."

Bobby looked thoughtful. "You've recovered the porn from several sites, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then it's big business for them." He ran his fingers through his hair. "They won't hide long. It's paying the bills, and they have a lot of mouths to feed."

* * *

The cashier at the drugstore looked like he was afraid to touch Mike's money. Warily, he put the bills into the register and counted out Logan's change. Mike opened the Tylenol and took two pills before he even picked up the bag from the counter.

"You don't look so good," said the young cashier. "Are you going to be all right?"

Mike thought he nodded, but he was feeling so nauseated he was afraid to move too suddenly. Slowly, he turned and forced his legs to head for home.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

While Stabler and Benson bunked out for a while, Fin and Munch hit the pavement. They started with the apartment where Nick had been picked up. It had taken a while to get a search warrant signed, so the place hadn't been searched yet. The kid's room was a typical teenager's domain; video games, computer, decorated with posters of marijuana leaves and bad zombie movies.

The father's room was more important. They left no stone unturned, checking even between his folded clothes, looking for anything at all that might give them a clue to his whereabouts or any kind of link to the pornography ring.

"Munch, check this out," Fin called. He was in the kitchen, rummaging through the junk drawer. He laid out several scraps of paper with nothing more than a name and a phone number on them. After his partner had a look, Tutuola bagged them as evidence, and the search continued.

* * *

As Goren and Eames were about to leave, the three man custodial crew arrived. Bobby stopped and watched them work. One worker had Downs Syndrome, but seemed very accustomed to the routines in his work. Another had some kind of mental retardation, and the job coach was working very closely with this person, making sure he was not disturbing the desks of the detectives as they went around the room emptying the small trash cans. The third worker walked freely around the squad room with a dustrag and wiped off all the desks, the computers, the phones, and any unupholstered chairs. This man seemed completely unresponsive to the greetings of the employees of SVU, and remained entirely focused on his work.

Bobby watched him carefully, and then approached him. "Hi," Bobby said. "I'm Detective Goren."

The man gave him a fleeting glance and then continued working, but now had an anxious look on his face.

"Are you Rafael?"

The man appeared to ignore him. The job coach came over. "I'm Bill. Can I help you with something?"

"I was just talking to Rafael," Bobby said.

"Rafael doesn't talk." Bill looked at him curiously. "How did you know his name?"

"Oh," Bobby thought on his feet. "Nametag, you know."

Fortunately, the crew did all wear nametags. Bill started to go back to assist the other worker, but Bobby called him back. "Hey, Bill… if Rafael doesn't talk, then how do you… you know, teach him his job?"

Bill smiled, gratified that someone wanted to know about his job. "He understands everything. He just can't answer you, or verbalize what he's thinking."

"He understands everything?"

"Sure."

Bobby looked back at Rafael, who had almost finished dusting the entire room. "You guys… are here every day?"

"Yeah, sure. Monday through Friday."

"Same time every day?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Thanks," Bobby said.

Alex was leaning against one shoulder in the doorway. "Are you about ready, now?" she asked, amused.

"Yeah," Bobby answered, perfectly serious. "I… uhm… have some research to do."

* * *

Alex accompanied Bobby to visit Rafael Ochoa's parents. They invited the detectives into the apartment, confused as to why the police wanted to talk to them.

"I…uh, I met Rafael at SVU today, when he came in to work."

"We're with Major Case," Alex explained. "We have been working closely with SVU this week, and we were impressed with Rafael's custodial crew."

"He works very hard," said Mrs. Ochoa. "It took a long time for him to… get comfortable… with a job."

"He's so proud when he gets his paycheck," the young man's father said.

"H-how can you tell he's proud?" Bobby asked. "Bill, the job coach, told me Rafael can't talk."

The parents looked at each other. "He doesn't talk, but… you can tell."

"You can see it in his face," said his mother. "And he always carries his check over here and he puts it in this slot, where we keep the bills." She gestured to a bill sorter that hung on the wall next to a desk.

Bobby nodded. "Like he's helping the family… to pay the bills."

"Yes, exactly," said Mr. Ochoa.

"Rafael has autism, right?" The parents nodded. "Did he ever, you know, learn to read and write?"

"As far as we can tell, he always knew how," his father said. "Even before he went to school, if I gave him a pen and paper, he would write down something."

"Letters?" Alex asked.

"Yes, but more than that," Mrs. Ochoa explained. "He would write down something he'd seen, like my grocery list, or a paragraph from a letter I left lying on the table."

"He would copy them," probed Bobby.

"No," both parents said. Mr. Ochoa continued, "He would have it memorized. He would see the grocery list in the morning and in the afternoon, out here in the living room, he would just… write it down."

"Wow, that's amazing," said Alex.

"A photographic memory," Mrs. Ochoa said proudly.

"He's certainly an interesting young man," said Bobby. He strolled over and studied an old family picture on the wall. "Who's this?" he asked.

"That's Rafael's brother, Martin."

"What does he do?"

"He's a cook at a deli in town. Martin is very close to Rafael. In fact, Rafael has dinner with him every night."

"Thank you for talking with us," Bobby said, shaking their hands. "Rafael is a very impressive young man."

* * *

"He's not answering," Alex told her partner. "I haven't heard from him all day, have you?"

"He was up all night at SVU," Bobby offered.

Alex checked the time. "He'd be up by now. Even Logan couldn't be that much of a sloth." She put her phone away. "I'm going to go check on him. Come over later?"

Bobby grinned. "Sure." He watched her jog to the car and Bobby turned to go inside the deli.

* * *

A/N Just like people without disabilities, not every person with autism is a savant. But some are, and it works for my story, so I created Rafael. Please understand that. I don't want to be accused of perpetuating a misconception.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Goren saw them right away, sitting at a booth in the back corner, far from the windows looking out over the sidewalk. The brothers had the same dark hair, and the same golden hue to their skin. He walked over, binder in hand, and sat down next to Martin Ochoa. Rafael's face drew up in worry, and he started to rock slightly.

"Excuse me," Martin said. "My brother and I are having dinner."

"I know, I think it's great," Bobby said. "Every night. That's really terrific of you. I bet your brother really looks forward to this every day."

Martin looked over at Rafael, who was rocking more quickly. He looked back at Goren. "Do I know you?"

"No, but your brother does."

He looked back over at his brother, who was purposefully looking at the wall as he rocked. "Do you work for the agency?"

"No. Your brother can tell you about me, can't you Rafael?" Bobby asked.

"My brother can't talk."

Bobby had opened his binder already. He slapped down his ledger and a pen in front of Rafael with a determined look on his face. Rafael immediately picked up the pen, scrawled a note, and then looked at the wall. Bobby retrieved the notepad and turned it so he and Martin could read it.

_Robert Goren, Detective_

_ Major Case Squad_

_ Visitor_

Bobby smiled. It was exactly what had been printed on his visitor badge at SVU. He looked over at Martin.

"Y-you're a cop?"

"Detective," Bobby corrected. He gave the paper back to Rafael. "What were you planning to write down for your brother today, Rafael?"

Dutifully, the man took up the pen and started writing. He wrote almost three paragraphs: the first two a handwritten copy of a report off Tutuola's desk, and the last a word-for-word transcription of a conversation between Stabler and Benson.

Bobby turned the paper around for Martin. "I think your brother… and you… have some explaining to do."

* * *

Logan took forever to open his door. "Oh, Mike," she said, overcome with compassion. Without a word, he turned and walked back to his bed. Eames saw the ever-familiar sick-bag of groceries on his kitchen table. She saw the pill bottle out on the counter. She made sure his door was shut and followed him back to his room. He had a glass of soda on the bedside table and a television to entertain himself.

Alex felt his forehead. "You're warm," she said, and he just looked at her with glazed eyes. "Have you been throwing up?"

He nodded.

"I'll get you a fresh drink," she said. She got him a cool washcloth along with the new drink, and then she straightened his blankets over him. Mike was uncharacteristically silent.

"Did you try to eat anything?"

He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"You should try, Mike."

"Not hungry," he said.

She sighed. "Okay. I'll hang around a while, in case you change your mind." She left him in his room and settled herself in his living room. An hour later, her phone rang.

"Hi, Bobby," she said.

"Did you find him?"

"Yes. He's at home and he's got the virus."

"Oh."

"I'm going to stay and take care of him."

"Oh."

"You know how miserable it is."

"Yeah."

"Bobby?"

"Yes, Eames?"

She noted that he was addressing her by her surname and she frowned. "He doesn't have anybody. I know how much better I felt having you with me. I'm going to help him."

"Okay, Eames." Goren hesitated, and then he asked, "Does he need anything?"

Alex smiled. "He managed to buy some things before he came home. You could… come by and give me a hand, later…"

"It may be a while," Goren said. "I've got Martin Ochoa in interrogation."

* * *

"Goren," Stabler said. Bobby cocked his head in the man's direction. Elliott jerked his head in the direction of the interrogation room. "Good work, there."

Goren ignored the compliment. "I, uh… I could use somebody to work him with me," he offered. "You up for it?"

Stabler gave him a slow smile. "Sure."

* * *

Martin Ochoa had a court-appointed lawyer. Once the social worker from adult protective services informed them of what Martin had coerced his brother Rafael to do, his parents wanted nothing to do with him. So the wheels had stopped moving until Ochoa's attorney could arrive.

"Mr. Ochoa, this is Detective Stabler, SVU," Bobby began.

The lawyer spoke. "Just what are you accusing my client of doing? My understanding was hindering prosecution in the first degree?"

"That's right," said Elliot. "First degree. He's keeping us from catching pedophiles."

"What?" Cried Martin.

"And emotional abuse of an incompetent adult," Goren added.

"Exactly how have you come to this conclusion?" The lawyer asked.

"He manipulated his mentally incompetent brother to act as an informant to a ring of pedophiles."

The lawyer looked back and forth between the detectives. "I need to confer with my client."

Bobby gathered up his binder and followed Elliot out into the bullpen. The two bantered back and forth about professional basketball until Olivia walked up. "I see you've made up," she commented.

"Yeah, you know, no hard feelings," Stabler told Goren. "C'mon, I'll get you a soda," Stabler said, leading the way to the break room.

* * *

"Drop the emotional abuse charge and drop the other to hindering three."

The ADA had one hell of a poker face. Goren and Stabler stood behind her, waiting for the go ahead.

"He took advantage of his disabled brother," the ADA snarled.

The defense attorney sat back. "That's going to be a hard one to prove. Your Detective could be accused of the same thing."

Bobby flinched, and clenched his fists.

The ADA was very still. "Drop the abuse charge and Hindering Two."

The defense attorney conferred with her client, whispering in his ear. "All right." She sat back and Stabler and Goren came to the table and sat down. Bobby opened his binder and prepared to take notes.

"I didn't know why they needed the information," Martin began. "They just… they said they would give me $1000 a day for anything I could get from Stabler, Benson, Tutuola, and Munch. Honest, I didn't know they were hurting kids!"

* * *

"Beer?"

"For you, not him," Bobby said. He walked inside and promptly put the carton of bottles in the fridge. "How is he?"

"Not throwing up for the last two hours. Sleeping, now."

"Good." Bobby took her in his arms and kissed her. "How are you?"

"Tired."

"I'll do the night shift," he said.

"Wait, I'll have one of those beers and you can tell me how it went."

He followed her into the kitchen and sat down at the table while she retrieved the beers. "Stabler's all right," Goren said. "He helped me with the interrogation."

"Good."

"They pled down, but we got what we needed. I think the kid didn't realize he was hurting his brother."

"What will happen to Rafael?"

"He can't work in a squad room anymore. They've suspended the whole contract until the department can work something out with them. Benson and Stabler really went to bat for Rafael and his friends." Bobby took a deep drink. "This case just has too many victims."

"Oh, that beer tastes good," Alex said. "I've been drinking nothing but water since…" She took another swig.

"Does he have a guest room?" Bobby asked.

"No, just an old couch."

Bobby walked over and looked at it. He pulled the cushions off. It was a hideaway bed. He reached down and pulled the mattress out from its folded position until it rested on the floor. "That should do," he said.

"You won't fit."

"To be with you? I'll find a way," Bobby grinned.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Logan, wake up," Goren repeated. Mike opened his eyes and glared at Goren. "Take these," Goren said, shoving two pills into his hand.

Mike took the pills and sipped the water Goren handed him afterward. "What the hell are you doing here?" Mike asked.

"Helping."

Mike blinked. "Not exactly my idea of a nurse."

"Yeah, well, nobody ever likes the night nurse." Bobby pushed the glass back at Logan, who took another drink. "Are you hungry?"

"No."

"Okay. Want anything else?"

"A prettier nurse."

Bobby grinned. "Get some sleep, Logan." He set the glass on the nightstand and walked back out to the living room. He admired her again, for the hundredth time tonight. She was on her side, wearing Bobby's t-shirt like a nightgown. It was so big it had twisted and ridden up as she turned in her sleep. Bobby could see the points of her nipples poking into the cotton of his white t-shirt. He longed to touch her, but instead he scratched his own chest roughly. Bobby slipped out of his pants and crawled into bed beside her.

The motion of the old springs woke her. She turned over as he was lifting the blankets to cover himself, and he caught a glimpse of her underwear and her bare thighs. Bobby bit his lip and took a deep breath.

"How's Mike?" She asked sleepily.

"Getting better," Goren said. "He wanted a prettier nurse."

Alex laughed, and Bobby grinned, too. Alex moved closer and laid her head on his chest. Bobby hugged her with both arms. He snuck his hands down her back until they rested on her round behind.

"Mmmmm," Alex groaned. She scooted up until she could reach him for a kiss.

_Warm. Wet. Soft. _Bobby explored the sensations in his mind as he kissed her. His hands glided along her skin, giving her more than just a few sensations to explore, as well. Alex wriggled overtop him, and when the kiss finally broke, she buried her face against his neck, breathing deeply.

Just the sound of her breath sent shivers through him. Bobby raised one hand under the t-shirt and trailed it slowly from the top of her spine down to her tailbone. He felt her smile against his neck, and then her hungry kiss there, her tongue swirling against his whiskers. Bobby groaned.

"I'm sorry," Alex breathed.

"For what?" He asked, suddenly fearful.

Alex rolled off him, but kept one hand against the side of his neck. "You know, Logan's right in the next room… his place, his couch… We really shouldn't."

"Logan would."

"Maybe so, but… I'm sorry, Bobby."

He was already aroused, and it was a huge disappointment. He closed his eyes and only allowed himself one more affectionate touch before he turned away from her and tried to sleep. Bobby tried to think about the ridiculous drama he'd watched on television earlier in the night. The young actress from the film stuck in his mind. She was only about 9 years old. This thought led him to thoughts of the children in the sex ring. They were out there tonight, probably working for their supper.

It took him a long time to succumb to sleep.

* * *

"Oh, Geez, if I weren't sick already, I think I'd…" Logan complained upon seeing his coworkers tangled up in bed together.

"Relax, Logan, we're still clothed," Bobby said, getting up and stretching the muscles in his back. Alex pulled the sheet over her hips and folded her arms across her chest.

"Yeah. One of you," Mike said, and walked to the kitchen.

"He's on the mend," Alex announced. "When he's really sick, he doesn't say anything."

"And when he's well, he says everything," Goren added, teasing. He went after Mike into the kitchen. "Sit down, I'll get you something to eat."

"I want some eggs," Mike told him.

"Not a good idea, buddy. I'll make you toast."

As Bobby worked, Alex managed to wriggle back into her pants and then went to the bathroom to change into her own clothes. When she came back, she put her forearm against Logan's head. "Your fever's down," she commented.

"So how long have you been…?" Mike asked, curiously.

"We haven't." Alex replied. "In case you haven't noticed, you don't have much room for guests."

"My guests usually sleep with me," Mike countered. He nibbled at the toast Bobby had just set in front of him.

"Well, lack of accommodations led to…"

"Oh, no," Logan said with a grin. "You were pretty comfy in there."

Alex sent a look Goren's way. Bobby leaned over Mike. "You would be able to share a bed with her and not touch her?" He asked.

Logan looked down.

"So it's all clear now, right? Good Samaritans, bad lodging, nothing more."

Logan nodded.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, Mike."

He tossed down the remaining half of his toast. "Well. Jury's still out on that one," he said. "I'm going back to bed."

Alex followed him a few minutes later with a new glass of water. When she emerged, she climbed onto the bed with Goren again. "I made him drink almost half a glass. He doesn't look so good."

Bobby checked the time. "You go in; I'll come in later. Maybe by lunchtime, he'll be able to keep something down."

Alex held his face in her hands and kissed him. Then she took twenty minutes to get ready for work while Bobby helped Mike, who was vomiting again.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"All disposable cell phones. At least we got some names to look for," Munch announced as he followed Tutuola into the case room, still plastered with photos of the victims. Now there were a couple of additions: Nick, with both his picture when he was 4 and his picture now; and Rafael and Martin.

"Okay," Stabler explained, "Martin's contact was Eladio."

"Bingo," said Tutuola. "Eladio is one of the names we found in Nick's not-Dad's apartment."

"Roger Turner," Benson chimed in. "His real name is probably Houdini."

Elliot tacked up a photo of Roger, taken from SVU's security camera. "I'm going to interview Nick today," Olivia said.

"We're going to track down Eladio," said Munch. "I'm in the mood for some legwork." Fin nodded in agreement.

"All right, catch you guys later," Elliot said, and the group split up.

* * *

"Marjorie, is this the boy you saw Sade talking to?" Alex slid a picture of Nick across the table.

Marjorie's hand covered her mouth and her eyes teared up. She nodded, and then blurted, "Yes!"

* * *

"Stabler."

"The nanny confirmed Nick was the teen seen talking to Sierra's daughter."

"Okay, thanks Eames. You wanna come over for the interview with Turner?"

"Yeah, I'll be there as soon as I can."

* * *

"You and Eames run it," Elliot said. "I'll just observe."

Olivia looked at him with concern. "Did you get any rest last night?"

"Yeah, sure."

Olivia noted the bags under his eyes and frowned. He was tired, but he was too proud to admit it. She opted not to say anything more and shook Alex's hand. "Let's do this," Benson said.

They walked in and sat down across from the boy and his court appointed guardian. "Hello, Nick," Olivia said.

"Hi."

"This is Detective Eames." He nodded to Alex. "We have some questions for you."

"I know."

"First of all, I want to talk to you about Roger, the man you called your Dad." Olivia's face was soft and compassionate. She leaned in. "He's not really your Dad, is he, Nick?"

"I don't remember my real Dad, not really."

"How long have you been with Roger?"

"Since I was little, like four or five."

"How did you meet him?"

"I… I was little, and I… I got lost in the woods. I was scared. I found this road, and I was walking, and Dad—," He flushed at his mistake, "I mean, Roger, he pulled up in his car and he picked me up. He said I was far away from my house, and that he would call my parents and see if they wanted to come get me."

Alex and Olivia shared a look of disgust.

"I always figured they didn't want me."

"Your guardian has told you about your real family, hasn't she?"

"Y-yeah," Nick said, looking over at the kind woman sitting next to him. "She said they filed missing persons reports and offered rewards and all kind of things."

"Yes, they did."

"So where are they now?" He asked, obviously hurt that the family he was supposed to believe cared about him hadn't shown up yet.

"The FBI is searching for them. They moved several years ago, and sometimes it's hard to track people down. Give them some time, Nick," Alex said.

"This next question is not easy to ask, Nick," Olivia said. "But we have reason to believe that Roger may be hurting children."

Nick looked at her, stone-faced.

"Did Roger ever molest you?"

Nick looked away.

"Touching?" He nodded. "Oral?" Again, the boy nodded. "Penetration?"

"Only once." He looked at his guardian. "Can we go, now?"

"Why only once, Nick?" Olivia pressed.

"I didn't like it. I cried. He said he loved me and he didn't want me to cry."

Alex watched Olivia work, thankful that she didn't have to spend her working days interviewing children about such horrors.

"Roger sent you to meet the kids," Olivia said. "The ones you chatted with online."

"Yeah."

Alex slid a picture of Sade across the table. "Do you remember her?" she asked.

"Yeah, that was last week."

"We need to find her," Olivia whispered. "He's hurting her. He's making her cry."

Nick's face twisted, and he wiped his eyes on his shoulders. "I just talked to her. She said she wanted to have some fun. So I took her to the basement."

"What basement?" Benson asked.

"It's two buildings down from mine. Da-Roger gave me a key and told me to take kids there and show them a good time. Everything was down there: Cokes, food, video games."

Behind the glass, Stabler dialed his phone.

"Tutuola."

"Two doors down from Turner, a place with a basement. Look for one of your guys there."

"Got it."

Stabler turned back to the interview and watched his partner work.

"What happened after you showed them a good time?"

"Sometimes… sometimes, I could… you know, if I liked them, I could, you know…"

"Have sex?" Benson asked.

He nodded. "But I didn't usually. It's hard to… you know, with someone you don't know."

Olivia smiled at him, thinking there was still some hope for the poor boy. "So what happened, after…?"

"One of the guys would come around and pick them up."

"What guys?"

"Oh, uhm, Dave, Eladio, Carl, Porter, Tim, uhm… Chuck… Sean…"

Alex scribbled the names as he spoke. By the time he was finished, she had fifteen names on her pad.

"Okay, Nick. Thank you. We're going to take a break…?" she looked at his guardian, who nodded and rubbed the boy's back. "We'll take a break for lunch, and then we'll ask you about these men. Descriptions, and anything else you can tell us about them." The boy nodded at her, and Olivia smiled. "Now. What kind of pizza do you like?"

* * *

"I'm going to take a black light to that couch, Goren, and I swear if I find anything, you're buying me a new one."

"Aw, c'mon, Logan, that couch is at least fifty years old. I wouldn't be surprised if you bought it from a hotel auction."

"Hey, I've had that couch a long time. It's got… sentimental value."

"Well, you can sit and be… sentimental with your couch all afternoon. I'm going to work. Soup's in the fridge, and your dishes are all clean."

"Thanks, Goren," Mike said, flopping down to sit on his well-worn couch.

"Feel better, Logan." Bobby stuffed his phone into his pocket and left.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N I may have the timeline wrong with Elliot's divorce and the age of his kids, but bear with me. The story will work out well this way, even if I have that wrong!

* * *

Chapter 12

"Goren & Eames are following up on the last three. We've got a good chance of finding Chuck, I think. The kid's description of him was pretty detailed. The tattoo alone…" Olivia turned to her partner and realized something was wrong. "El?"

He was pale, and was breathing shallow with his eyes closed.

"Elliot? What's wrong?"

"Pull over pull over pull over!" He said quietly, but urgently.

Olivia swerved the car and stopped it, earning angry honks from several cars behind her. Elliot opened his door and hurled onto the curb. "Oh, God," Liv said. She reached out a hand and rested it on his back until he was finished. "Oh, El…" She handed him a couple of napkins from the console and he wiped his mouth. "I'm taking you home." He closed the door again and strapped himself in.

As Olivia drove, she realized that he had no one to care for him. He had just divorced his wife, and she had all four kids until next Friday. Maureen was in college, but Olivia doubted she would be up to the job of caring for her father. "Elliot, can you get Maureen to come stay with you?"

"No, it's okay. I'll manage," he said.

Liv glared at him. It wasn't that Maureen wouldn't take care of him, it was that Elliot wouldn't allow it! "Elliot, you're a mess. You should have someone with you."

"Nah, I'm all right," he protested, mumbling with his eyes closed.

"I'm calling Munch."

Elliot's eyes flew open. "Why? You're not asking him to—"

"No," Olivia said with a smile. "But somebody will have to track down Chuck while I'm taking care of you."

He protested until the pot holes in the road started making him queasy again.

* * *

"Stabler's phone."

"Who is this?"

"It's Olivia Benson, who is this?" she asked, a little irritated. She looked over at Elliot, who had finally stopped heaving and was resting on his bed. Even with the fever reducer, he was still running a few degrees hot. He had a wet washcloth over his forehead and eyes.

"Oh, hi Detective Benson. It's Kathleen. Can I talk to my Daddy?"

"Uhm," she looked over at Elliot. "He's not feeling well right now, Kathleen. Can I give him a message for you?"

"Daddy's sick? Let me talk to him!" Olivia sighed. She carried the phone over to her partner. "El," she said softly, nudging him back into consciousness. "Kathleen wants to talk to you."

He swiped the washcloth off his face and handed it to Olivia as he fumbled with the phone in his hands. "Hi honey," he said, his voice weak.

"Daddy, what's wrong?"

"I'm just… sick, honey. Flu bug or something." He took a deep breath as he struggled to listen to her.

"Kathleen, your mother is the boss. You know I'm not going to go against what she says." He listened more, and Olivia could see the frustration further coloring his cheeks. "Honey, no. You have to do what Mom says."

This third round was more than he could bear. He listened as long as he could, then interrupted her with, "I gotta go," and dropped the phone as he ran for the bathroom.

Olivia picked up the phone. "Kathleen? He's sick. I think you have to work this one out on your own." After a moment, she said goodbye and hung up, then went to see about Elliot.

* * *

"I don't know how you do it," Liv smiled at him, and gave him a couple of crackers to go with his soup.

"What?" Elliot asked.

"Everything. The job is hard enough, but living alone, divorced, being a Dad, a great Dad, to four kids. I don't know how you do it."

He stuffed a cracker in his mouth and shrugged in response.

"I admire you, El."

* * *

One by one, the perps were brought in. Even Cragen got in on the action, joining with his detectives for interrogation. By the end of the next night, they had nine of the fifteen suspects in custody. Unfortunately, they still hadn't found Roger or any of the children.

Elliot was exhausted, but on his feet again. Unfortunately, as soon as his fever broke, Olivia's started. She tried to hide it from him, but in an efficiency apartment, there's nowhere to hide.

"Liv?" He asked.

She was leaning over the sink, pouring cool water into her hand and splashing it over her face. "Yeah," she called, not as strongly as she'd hoped.

Elliot got out of bed and padded across the room. He reached out his hand and took in her flushed features. "You got it, don't you?"

Reluctantly, she nodded. Elliot reached out and turned off the faucet, then he put his arm around her and tucked her into his bed. He shook the medicine bottle like a shaker. "Did you take some of these?"

Olivia shook her head. "Not yet."

Elliot retrieved two pills and a glass of water and helped her take the medicine. She shivered, and he tucked the blankets around her. He turned down the lights and went across the room to make a phone call.

"Tutuola."

"Hey Fin, how's the case coming along?"

"No, it is not! Elliot Stabler, back from the dead!" he teased. "We could have used you two yesterday, but we're making some headway. Goren and Eames have been a good addition."

"Who have you got? Roger?"

"No, man, we still don't have Roger, but Munch says we're closing in on him. You know Munch. He's like the Madame Mystery crystal ball reader of SVU. When you coming back?"

"I'm still pretty wiped. Thing is, Benson's got it now."

"Were you two… sharing germs?"

"No! No. God, Tutuola, I should pop you one for that remark."

"Hey, hey, settle down, El. It was just a joke."

"Yeah, well, I guess things don't seem so funny to me right now." He heard her in the bathroom and frowned. "I'll call you later," Elliot said as he hung up the phone. He went to the bathroom door and knocked. "Liv? Can I help?"

She heaved again, and then it was quiet except for her breathing hard and occasional spitting. Finally, he heard the toilet flush.

Elliot knocked again. "Liv?"

She was breathless. "I just… need a shower," she said, and he heard the water come on.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The team was gathered around three nearly empty pizza boxes. "This is one hell of an operation," Munch complained. "None of these guys knows where the kids are."

"It's Roger," said Alex. "If we find Roger, we'll find the kids."

Tutuola nodded in agreement. "He's the boss; he's in charge. He went under and moved the kids as soon as he knew we were sniffing him out."

Bobby sat very quietly, staring at the last pepperoni on his slice. "You're awfully quiet," Cragen noted.

"I'm going back in. With Eladio."

Alex cocked her head at Bobby.

"He's got an Achilles heel, we just have to find it," Bobby stated.

"What'd I miss?" Logan announced from the door. His nose wrinkled at the sight of the pizza and he leaned back against the doorframe, holding a hand over his stomach.

Cragen looked up. "You're over it?" he said. "I don't want anyone else getting sick."

"I'm over it," Mike said. He dropped his hand away from his stomach and put it in his pocket.

Cragen looked at his team. "Fine. You can join Tutuola and Munch, looking for the rest of the perps and the kids. Goren and Eames are going back to interrogation with me."

* * *

He'd snuck into the bathroom while she was in the shower and set a carefully folded t-shirt on the counter. Now Olivia emerged, mostly covered by his navy blue shirt. Her skin was pallid except for the flush in her cheeks.

"Okay?" He asked her.

She nodded, and walked shakily to his bed where she climbed between the sheets. Elliot brought her a glass of water and held her up while she drank some. Olivia laid back against the pillow and closed her eyes. She was far from okay. Her partner tucked the blankets tightly around her and retreated to his own side of the bed. He wanted to help her, but he was tired, too.

* * *

Eladio Torres was sitting at the interrogation table, looking tired. His hair was disheveled and he was futilely combing his hand through it, trying to keep the greasy strands out of his eyes. When the two detectives walked in, he froze, his head cocked against his hand. Bobby was already extracting some paperwork from his binder as he sat down in the chair across from the man.

"You're on a kind of… tight… budget, aren't you, Mr. Torres?" Bobby asked, sliding a sheet over for him to look at.

"I've been… out of work…a long time. It's hard to get by on odd jobs."

"Odd jobs," Alex said with a scoff. She folded her arms and leaned against the wall, her weapon protruding from its holster on her side, in stark contrast to her delicate feminine contours.

Both men looked in her direction; one angrily, one curious. Bobby continued, "Yeah, what… what kind of odd jobs do you do, Eladio?"

He shrugged and tried to wipe the sweat from his hands. "You know, painting, fixing things, handyman stuff."

"Not babysitting?" Alex asked.

He gave her a barely perceptible shake of the head. Bobby took back the piece of paper. "Well, your bank account shows that you deposited $1000 on the 26th last month. What kind of job earned you that?"

Eladio shifted from one hip to the other and massaged the knuckle where his pinkie finger met his hand. "Uh, I uh… I did some work around a house for this old lady I know."

"Oh, good," said Bobby. He sat with his pencil poised. "What's her name?"

He looked uncomfortable for a moment, but then he said, "Mariela Mondragon."

"Where does she live?" Bobby asked, innocently. Again, Eladio paused. Bobby grinned, and chuckled in the direction of his partner, then at Torres. "You, you did… work on her house, right?"

Again, the man combed his fingers through his hair. "She lives in my building, apartment 45."

Bobby looked over at Alex. "But your building, I mean, you have a Super, right?"

He was sweating hard, now. Alex moved in. She leaned over her palms on the table. "You can't lie your way out of this, Eladio. You're mixed up in something very bad. We'll sort it out one way or another. You have a choice to make. You either come clean and start helping us, or when you go down, you're going down hard." He stared at the base of the wall to his left. "We need to find Roger. We need to find those kids."

It was Bobby's turn. "Roger is running big business porn." He went back to his friendly tone of voice. "You… you put in a lot of work for him." Bobby tossed the financial statement back in his direction. "You shouldn't be… living hand to mouth. You should be resting easy, with the money he's making off those kids."

Eladio looked at him in disbelief. Bobby sat back. "I'll prove it to you." He rooted through his binder and came back with another bank statement. He shoved it in Eladio's direction. "This is… Roger's. You got paid on the 26th, right? Look at his statement," He got up and bent over the man, trolling down the list of debits and credits with his pencil, until he jabbed at one of the entries with it, "Right there! The 24th. How much did he deposit?"

Eladio's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "$12,000," he stammered.

Bobby went back to his seat, leaving the man staring at the paper. "You thought you had a good thing going, there, didn't you?" He watched the surprise on the man's face transform into anger. Bobby smirked privately, then covered his mouth with his hand. He sat back, waiting for Torres to start talking.

* * *

Elliot wiped her brow with the cool cloth while Olivia's brow furrowed in misery. She groaned. "I'm dying," she complained.

He smiled. "No, you're not. I lived through it, so will you."

"El, I'm sorry about your bathroom."

"Don't worry, it's already cleaned up."

She turned toward him, grabbing the washcloth from his hand and moving it away from her face. He stared at her, his eyes compassionate. "You look better," she said.

He smiled. Leave it to Olivia to think of him when she was miserable, herself. "See?" he grinned. "You're better, too. Six hours ago you didn't even know my name."

She granted a small smile at his joke and shook her head. "Too much," she said quietly. "… taking care of me."

"Hey. I'm just returning the favor." He leaned down and kissed her forehead, then left her alone to get some rest.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

There was a small army assembled for the raid. Round the clock surveillance was in place, and Roger had been positively ID'd several times during the last 16 hours. Elliot and even Olivia had rejoined the group, and they were all vested and ready to go.

Cragen looked out at his team. The SWAT officers would take the lead, but his detectives, including the loaners from Major Case, would follow close behind. They were waiting until midnight, in the hopes that most of the children would be sleeping and not rush into the middle of things.

Olivia put her hands on the hood of a SUV and dipped her head down. Elliot's hand was soon on the little bit of shoulder still exposed beneath the vest. "You all right?" he asked.

She nodded and smiled. "Just tired," she said. "The vest is heavy."

He gave her a reassuring smile. "We'll be done with this, soon," he said. He walked over to stand with the others, and soon Cragen had his ear.

"Liv up for this?" He asked.

"Sure she is," Elliot said.

Cragen spared another glance in the woman's direction and frowned. "Stabler, I know this is your case, but I want to know she's got your back. Can she handle it tonight?"

"She's got me," Elliot said, looking his Captain square in the eye. "She's always got me."

Logan, Munch, and Tutuola were drinking coffee at the bumper of another vehicle. Munch tossed Logan a bag of pretzels and he smiled. The three had really bonded during the investigation.

Alex watched them banter back and forth and smiled. It was good to team up with others in the Department sometimes. Networking was good for investigations, and this kind of allegiance was good for safety. She glanced over at her partner, who was busy reading something in his binder. He was ready, she knew, but still he studied, just in case something in the profile would help bring this to a resolution peacefully.

Cragen came through and gave them all the ready call. Cups of coffee were split onto the asphalt and weapons were readied. Bobby zipped his binder shut and laid it on the seat of the SUV. He stood elbow to elbow with Eames. They gripped their weapons in a lowered position and waited for the go signal.

It was an abandoned drive up motel, 40 miles out from the city. The local township had no police force and relied on NYPD, so jurisdiction was not an issue. The road was citified enough to maintain a house or a business every 40 yards or so, but country enough to have some tall trees, which gave it a somewhat rustic feel.

Now, at midnight, it was still except for the distant sounds of traffic and occasional sirens from the city. The layout of the motel, a lazy V, had posed some logistical problems for the team, but every officer had the children foremost in their minds, and they were willing to accept some risk. The SWAT team moved in first. Stealthily, they spread out along the rooms, one man to every motel room door, crouching in shadows so as not to be seen by the rooms across the way.

On a radio signal, simultaneously, they busted in the room doors and were followed in by a second wave of SWAT officers.

The detectives listened on the radio as they identified which rooms contained victims and secured them. When the positive ID for Roger came back, the Detectives moved in.

Room 11 was at the apex of the V. Logan, Munch, and Tutuola were the first ones there. Stabler and Benson were diverted to the back of the room, on the off chance he tried to escape out the tiny bathroom window. Goren and Eames were sent to assist in room 7, where another adult was holed up.

The SWAT members whisked children to the safety of waiting patrol cars one by one. Roger was armed, and had Sierra's daughter as a hostage. He was in a standoff with the officer who'd kicked in his door.

Room 7 was also at a standoff. Alex slipped around back while Bobby listened intently to the SWAT man's dialogue. "Put the gun down, and no one will get hurt."

"You're not taking me!" he said. "I'll shoot my way out, if I have to!"

"You wouldn't get far. The place is surrounded."

"I'll shoot as many as I can, then."

In Bobby's earpiece, the man was identified. "Timothy Rourke…" the chatter said. Bobby got on his radio. "Rourke, Eames. Move in."

She got a boost to the small window from an officer behind her and dropped silently to the floor inside. She drew her weapon again and took aim.

She and Bobby had discussed every perpetrator who was still at large, and she had the advantage of Bobby's insight to know how to handle him. She heard Bobby's voice. "Drop the gun, Rourke! This is your last chance!" The SWAT officer didn't say a word, but kept his eyes and his gun trained on the man in front of him.

Just as Alex started feeling the pressure of the trigger against her finger, she saw him jerk his arm higher. She and the SWAT officer fired in unison, and Rourke's weapon discharged into the ceiling. He fell dead to the floor.

In room eleven, things were at a standstill. Roger Turner was demanding safe passage out of the snare, betting the life of his hostage against it. Bobby barely had time to give Alex a nod before he was called by name to the furthest room.

Munch had worked his way in, and was talking to Turner. "All right," he was saying. "They have to make some calls, you know. Your car isn't, uh, isn't really available anymore."

"Give me a cruiser, then."

"You know we can't do that."

He pressed the barrel of his gun into the soft flesh under the girl's jaw. She whimpered and fought hard not to sob. "You damn sure can do it!" he shouted.

"You're right, you're right," Goren said, slightly out of breath from the jog. Munch had holstered his weapon, and as Goren entered he did the same.

"This is Detective Goren, Roger," said Munch.

"Bobby," corrected the big detective. "I'm Bobby. Sade," he said, "You're gonna be all right. We'll take care of you, you'll be dancing to your Mom's songs again soon."

"Get me the damn car!" shouted Turner.

"It's right outside," Bobby lied. He slowly inched his way around the perimeter of the room. Munch took Bobby's lead and moved in the opposite direction. Between the two detectives, there was a narrow path to the door. "You just… go ahead and walk out. The car's there… it's waiting for you."

"I'll kill her," Turner warned. "You trick me and I'll kill her."

Bobby's eyes met the girl's, and she was reassured. "It's no trick," Goren said. "Just let me know when you're ready to go out, and I'll give the signal to them to back down."

"Give it now."

"Okay." Bobby raised his radio and spoke. "Room eleven suspect is on his way out the west door, with hostage."

"Okay… okay…" Turner spoke as he walked. Goren and Munch closed in behind him as much as they could. Just before they got to the doorway, Bobby shouted "Roller!"

The young girl made herself dead weight and dropped to the floor. Roger squeezed the trigger, but her weight had already thrown the barrel in another direction. Before he could fire again, Goren had wrenched the gun from his hand and Munch had him restrained on the floor. The girl ran out the door, hysterical.

"Clear!" the Detectives shouted.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

It was a long, long night. The Detectives filed their reports as they watched the children reunite one by one with their parents in the presence of the social workers and the department psychiatrists. The pedophiles were in lock-up and the ADAs were prepared to fight for remand until their trials.

After watching from a distance as Sierra hugged her daughter Sade, Eames turned to Goren. "What was that you said to her?"

"Roller." He shrugged and spoke timidly. "It's… it's a break in one of Sierra's songs. Dance thing. Drop to the floor and roll."

Alex smiled at him. "You've been listening to teenybopper music and I missed that?!"

Bobby grinned. "Investigating. I was investigating."

Alex bent her head and leaned in. "Maybe you can show me that move, later…" She smiled with satisfaction as his cheeks colored. Alex signed off on her form and sat back. "I'm ready to get out of here. You?"

Bobby signed his paperwork and replaced his pen inside his binder. He zipped it shut. "Let's go." They turned in the reports and walked across the room to Stabler and Benson's desks. Benson was gently sipping a cup of coffee.

"We're headed out," Alex announced.

Stabler stood and shook both their hands. "Thanks for your help."

"You already had most of the work done," Bobby said. "I'm glad we caught them."

"Are you all right?" Alex asked Olivia.

Olivia smiled. "Yeah. I'm just… a little scared to eat anything yet, you know?"

Alex put her hand on her stomach, "Believe me, I know! I had it last week."

"You brought the bug over here?" Stabler asked, accusingly.

Alex jerked her thumb at her partner. "He started it."

Bobby shrugged and mumbled an apology. "I'm glad you're both feeling better," he added.

The four laughed and shook hands again, and the Major Case Detectives walked out the door.

* * *

Logan sat on the corner of Munch's desk, watching the two partners rib each other about sloppy police work.

Munch turned to Logan. "Am I right?" He asked.

"Hey, man, I don't do domestic disputes." Mike joked.

"Domestic dispute, very funny, Logan," Tutuola complained. "You got any openings over at MC? You seem like a decent guy. Maybe I can partner up with you."

"I don't think my partner would like that very much." He laughed. Mike stuck out his hand and shook each of theirs. "Good to meet you boys. Glad to work with you."

"Same here," said Munch. "You ever need anything…"

"Thanks."

* * *

In the car, they discussed the case one last time. They counted off all the victims, both direct and indirect. It was one of the biggest busts NYPD had ever seen. A silence fell over them for the last leg of the drive. As Alex pulled up to the curb in front of his place, he looked over at her. "You wanna… come up?" Bobby asked.

"Ross did give us the day off," she said. As she pulled the keys out of the ignition, she added, "Besides, I heard you had some Sierra cd's…"

"I'll be glad not to ever listen to that stuff again," he said, climbing out of the car.

"That bad?"

"Computerized drums, canned backup vocals. If it weren't for Sierra, the whole thing would be electronic. Give me a drum kit and a bass and a saxophone, any day."

"That's right, you're a jazz guy," Alex said with a smile as she hooked her arm into the crook of his.

He shook his head. "I'm just a… real music… guy."

When they got inside the apartment, he turned to her. "I know you're pretty tired," he said. "It was a long night." He was about to continue, but she moved into his arms and kissed him. Bobby bent down and kissed her back.

His hands slid down to her hips, and she stretched her fingers across his cheek. "Eames, uhm…" he tried to interrupt. It took several minutes before she would stop kissing him.

"Alex. Call me Alex, Bobby," she said. "I'm going to feel a little strange if we make love and you call me Eames."

"If we…?"

She drew back. "Well, you want to, don't you?"

Dumbfounded, he nodded his head.

"When we make love, call me Alex," she said, and her hand went to the back of his head and pulled him down for a deeper kiss.

He breathed her name between kisses. Bobby slowly squatted down, far enough to stretch his hands over and across her behind. Then, all at once, she was off her feet. Alex crossed her legs around his waist and he walked slowly to the bed. He set her down gently and then sat down beside her. For a moment, the kissing stopped, and Alex realized there was something different in the way he looked at her. His eyes conveyed the raw need of his desire, but that was tempered by a soft spark of love.

THE END


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